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First Retail Store from Apple Considered Pilgrimage for Fans

When Apple opened their very first retail store in Glendale, California, nobody believed that it would attain the cult status that it has. Passionate fans of Apple have consider it a pilgrimage to travel to the store solely for the reason that it is Apple Store #1.
The Apple Store located in the Glendale...

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Have you been dreaming of having a touchscreen Mac running iOS? Well, I usually don’t condone giving up on your dreams, but you may have no other choice with this one. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, recently dismissed the assumption that Apple will merge the iOS mobile software with its OS X computer software. This means that iPads and Macs are, for the foreseeable future, going to remain separate entities, despite all the new similarities between them.

“We don’t believe in having one operating system for PC and mobile,” Cook stated on Tuesday during a chat with CEO of Box Aaron Levie. “We think it subtracts from both, and you don’t get the best experience from either. We’re very much focused on two.” Box is a company that provides cloud storage for businesses and is hosting its BoxWorks conference this week in downtown San Francisco.

These comments from Cook reiterate what Apple has been saying for years: that it’s PC and mobile systems will continue to be separate. Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi told CNET that introducing Macs with touchscreens was something that Apple had no intentions of doing. “We don’t think it’s the right interface, honestly. Mac is sort of a sit-down experience.”

Apple has kept its computer operating system totally separate from its iOS mobile software though it does feature things like “Handoff” from last year’s iOS 8, which allows the two programs to interact better. The feature allows you to start a program on an iPhone and then complete it on an iPad or Mac. According to Kantar Worldpanel Analyst Caroline Milanesi, “Apple continues to see the need for a continuum of experience but not a need for both experiences to merge if that means there is a compromise to make. I think that is the right approach.”

On the flip side, Microsoft has done the exact opposite. Under CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft has adopted a “one Windows” strategy. It has ported its new Windows 10 operating system to desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and even its Xbox One gaming console.

With the iPad Pro being officially unveiled earlier this month, questions about whether Apple would merge iOS and OS X into a single system resurfaced. The new 12.9″ tablet comes with an optional keyboard and stylus, which allows designers and others to do much more with their iPad. In addition to that, having an iPad with a bigger screen could also allow people to replace their computers with a tablet, which is something that could be vital as Apple works desperately to revitalize its iPad business.

Even if there is no foreseeable future for the merger of iOS and OS X, people can still dream. While the new iPad Pro could push Apple in the right direction with merging the two operating systems, it isn’t something we should hang our hopes on. However, if Apple wants to remain competitive, it should definitely consider merging. Microsoft has already seen great success with it and people are continually trying to find more portable ways to replace their desktops.

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Apple announced that it was revitalizing its Mac Pro desktop computer line though, despite other reports, there isn’t much changing with them. Apple added the word “new” to the Mac Pro on its website the other day which led some people to complain. That, in turn, made Apple take down the tag.

However, it seems that a new Mac Pro is coming, though not anytime soon. CEO Tim Cook recently announced that more extensive updates to the line will not be happening until “later next year”. Hints about this first hit when nobody was even talking about the devices at WWDC 2012. Once the “new” tag appeared, Andy Hertzfeld, a member of the original Apple Macintosh development team, completely bashed Apple for the skimpy updates.

According to Hertzfeld’s post on his Google Plus account, “The specs for the ‘new’ Mac Pro had hardly changed, except for a tiny, inconsequential processor clock bump. Still no Thunderbolt, still no USB 3.0, no SATA III or RAM speed improvements. It seems like it’s stuck in time in 2010. The only thing that’s still high-end about it is the bloated price.”

Harsh words from Hertzfeld, harsh but true. The Mac Pro runs anywhere from $2,499 to $3,799 depending on which model you choose. However, you can also opt for additional upgrades, driving the price up even higher. Hertzfeld isn’t the only one who is upset by the lack of an actual new Mac Pro, however. Mac Pro customers are expressing their discontent with the computers as well.

Fans of the desktop feel like they are being ignored by Apple, who has constantly been updating its MacBook lineup. A group of Mac Pro owners launched a Facebook page late last month titled “We Want a New Mac Pro”, which pleaded the company for an updated machine. At this point, the page has more than 18,149 “Likes”.

Apparently this page has made it all the way to CEO Tim Cook, who sent an email response to some guy named Franz. The email reads:

“Franz,

Thanks for your email. Our Pro customers like you are really important to us. Although we didn’t have a chance to talk about a new Mac Pro at today’s event, don’t worry as we’re working on something really great for later next year. We also updated the current model today.

We’ve been continuing to update Final Cut Pro X with revolutionary pro features like industry leading multi-cam support and we just updated Aperture with incredible new image adjustment features.

We also announced a MacBook Pro with a Retina Display that is a great solution for many pros.

Tim”

Even though the “new” Mac Pro is coming, we won’t really see a new one for a long time, but one is coming, I promise. To all Mac Pro users and fans out there, what do you think? Do you feel like Apple is running you through the ringer? Tired of waiting on an actual new Mac Pro?

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Everybody has heard about the working conditions in Apple’s factories overseas, mainly with regard to Foxconn. Every so often the media will catch wind of people living and working in horrible conditions or killing themselves because of their job. However, Apple CEO Tim Cook is once again defending the company’s track record of improving work conditions at these facilities, noting that Apple has done more to address the problems than any other company.

In a recent statement from Cook on the subject during a recent investor conference, the CEO stated, “No one in our industry is doing more to improve working conditions than Apple.” This statement comes after growing criticism over the working conditions at factories used to build Apple products like the iPhone and iPad.

There was even a story published in the New York Times highlighting some of the poor conditions Chinese workers face. Activist groups SumofUs and Change.org delivered a total of 250,000 signed petitions calling for a more ethically built iPhone. However, the company is taking it all in stride with Apple allowing the Fair Labor Association to audit its Foxconn plants.

In addition to that, Apple has gone on the offensive in defending its actions. Supporters of Apple are also pointing out that rival companies, like HP and Dell, use the same manufacturing facilities. Critics argue that since Apple is a leader in the industry, the company should lead in its call for better working conditions.

Cook also mentioned that Apple finds the use of child labor “abhorrent” and said that the practice is extremely rare in the company’s supply chain. It is a “top priority” for Apple to eliminate child labor all together, according to Cook, who also noted that a supplier who intentionally uses underage labor could be fired. “We don’t let anyone cut corners on safety,” he said.

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A global shortage of traditional, spinning hard disk drives (HDDs) has, coincidentally, come at a time when Apple’s flash-based solid-state MacBook Air is one of Apple’s most popular products. The large success of the redesigned netbook has come with “fortuitous timing” in the face of HDD shortages according to Evercore analyst Rob Chira. Chira believes that Apple is largely insulated from the ongoing component constraints that were caused by flooding in Thailand.

The MacBook Air only features NAND flash for storage, primarily relying on solid-state hard drives as opposed to the more traditional spinning hard disks. NAND memory has been completely unaffected by the floods in Thailand, events that have since put over 600,000 people out of work.

In addition to his previous statement, Chira also believes that the ongoing hard-drive shortage will create an influx of MacBook Air copycat Windows-based devices also using solid-state drives in 2012. Specifically, Chira sees PC makers gravitating towards Intel’s ultrabook design specification, which aims to capitalize on the popularity of Apple’s thin-and-light MacBook Air concept.

However, Chira expects Apple to counter this by refreshing its Air lineup in the first half of 2012 and also believes that Apple’s hoard of money will also allow it to leverage “some unique NAND engineering/supply vs. vanilla (solid-state drives).”

Recent rumors have also hinted at the possibility of Apple adding a 15″ model to its MacBook Air lineup in the early parts of 2012 and that the company is supposedly looking to expand its lineup as the ultraportable notebooks now represent 28% of Apple’s notebook shipments.

As far as Chira is concerned, Apple is in a strong position concerning Macs featuring traditional hard drives as well. He believes that Apple was the fastest hardware maker to react with hard-drive suppliers, putting the company in an advantageous position in the chain of supply.

This opinion also comes a matter of days after AppleInsider reported that build-to-order iMacs with 2TB hard drives had an estimated shipping time of 5 to 7 weeks. The shortage of high-capacity drives for Apple’s all-in-one machine could also be the first sign that the company is indeed being hit by the global shortage as well.

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, recently expressed concern about the hard drive shortage during his company’s quarterly earnings conference back in October. While Cook was “certain” there would be an industry-wide shortage of hard-disk drives, Cook said he was “not sure” at the time of exactly how the situation would affect Apple.

Power Point Projectors
Most business class projectors will do a good job displaying your PowerPoint presentation. If you have a small presentation group, a 2000 lumen LCD projector will be able to produce a nice and clear picture. For larger audiences you should consider a 5000 lumen LCD projector.